I know I should probably contact Surftech - directly -on this one, but in the interest of getting some info out to the bros - I figured I’d pose a few questions to you folks, here, at Sway’s. What do they coat these WOOD LAMINATE epoxy surfboards with ? Is that polyester resin on the outermost layer or is that epoxy, instead?! In the case of a superficial scratch or shatter, I customarily whip out the styrene and fuse with a glass wand before I cart out the poly resins (depending upon the gravity of the damage). If I were to attempt this on one of these type of boards, could the wood laminate leech (sp?) through the wood to the polystyrene blank underneath? How are these boards layered ? I’ve heard that these boards can be unusual to ride - in that they are very “floaty” and tricky to “walk” (longboard). Any of you folks own one or have any of you tried to make one? They look beautiful…but I still get the “jeebies” knowing that it’s styrofoam underneath! Feedback, please!
Not to sound like cranky guy, but I don’t think those surftech wood veneer boards are all that beautiful. To me they look like cheesy, mass produced furniture that yuppies would buy. I like surfboards with real wood stringers, or even “falsa balsa” airbrushes. I realize that I am a traditionalist, but even tossing my bias aside, I’m just not down with surftech pop-outs. They ARE light but it’s funny, more and more people want heavy volan longboards. My neighbor bought a surftech but he doesn’t ride it anymore. He said it felt more like a pool toy than a surfboard. Thoughts?
Not to sound like cranky guy, but I don’t think those surftech wood veneer > boards are all that beautiful. To me they look like cheesy, mass produced > furniture that yuppies would buy. I like surfboards with real wood > stringers, or even “falsa balsa” airbrushes. I realize that I am > a traditionalist, but even tossing my bias aside, I’m just not down with > surftech pop-outs. They ARE light but it’s funny, more and more people > want heavy volan longboards. My neighbor bought a surftech but he doesn’t > ride it anymore. He said it felt more like a pool toy than a surfboard. > Thoughts? A good friend wrote an article on modern surfboard construction that appeared in Pacific Longboarder a couple of years ago. He interviewed many people involved in the industry including Rennie Yater (shaped several surf tech models), Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia), etc. Surf Tech has a pretty nice diagram illustrating the lay up of their different models (they have the soft top, a solid color painted type, and the wood grain veneer) - The wood grain model features several fiberglass/epoxy resin laminates cured under heat and pressure followed by the wood grain laminate which was coated with polyester resin gel-coat and glossed - I was stoked! I bought a 9’10" Yater wood grained model for $700 bucks and change. It was light and seemed strong and was pretty ding resistant. I believe that the problem I had was due to the fact that the board didn’t have a stringer. The problem was too much flex. With no impact whatever from rocks, other boards or ANYTHING the gel coat began cracking along the resin bead edge in front of the fins. Repair wasn’t too difficult since the veneer hadn’t been penetrated - I just used polyester resin. A friend who does the local epoxy repair had several almost new wood grain Surf Techs that had snapped (again - no stringer) I liked the way my board rode but at $700+ dollars, I was expecting something VERY durable. The idea of having it break and become worthless was too much to bear-sold it at a loss before it became a total loss. I’m not knocking the shapers or anything as they have shapes by the world’s best. I personally think they look nice too, I just was expecting something more at that price. My current thinking is extra stringers, dense foam and strong glassing for a longboard that lasts - weight is not a big issue with me if I can get a board that I can ride for years. At current prices I won’t tolerate a board that dents, delams, and dings to death under normal use.
Tom: I’ve recently had one of these show up for ding repair. A particularly nasty nose/rail impact ding down to (not through)the wood veneer. I used traditional polyester repair methods including rough sanding, repaired with laminate and cloth layers then hotcoat etc. No problems. (had e-mailed Surftech for tips first on this). A penetrating ding to foam would have to involve epoxy then polyester layers I believe. I have to agree with the posts here, the board is nice to look at but in the numbers that they are being sold I felt like I was fixing another “classic” Dextra-to-be popout. The owner told me it felt very corky and had a stiff almost plastic feel while riding it. **I want to know about the Styrene/glass wand fix you referred to on repairing superficial shatters etc. Mil Gracias, Tom>>> I know I should probably contact Surftech - directly -on this one, but in > the interest of getting some info out to the bros - I figured I’d pose a > few questions to you folks, here, at Sway’s. What do they coat these WOOD > LAMINATE epoxy surfboards with ? Is that polyester resin on the outermost > layer or is that epoxy, instead?! In the case of a superficial scratch or > shatter, I customarily whip out the styrene and fuse with a glass wand > before I cart out the poly resins (depending upon the gravity of the > damage). If I were to attempt this on one of these type of boards, could > the wood laminate leech (sp?) through the wood to the polystyrene blank > underneath? How are these boards layered ? I’ve heard that these boards > can be unusual to ride - in that they are very “floaty” and > tricky to “walk” (longboard). Any of you folks own one or have > any of you tried to make one? They look beautiful…but I still get the > “jeebies” knowing that it’s styrofoam underneath! Feedback, > please!
Tom, I’ve owned a Surftech wood laminate model about three winters ago. It was a 9’0" Randy French HP longboard. I had no problems with the way it surfed – it was extremely responsive and fast. But I agree with John M. – I was expecting more durability for the $$$. I never sold mine and over time I develped a few small fractures along the rails in the middle of the board from a few bangs against rocks. These were extremely small dings and I repaired them with epoxy resin right away. One day I pearled on a relatively small wave and the board SNAPPED right in half. It’s the only board I’ve broken in 16 years of surfing. In summanry I think they are great boards untill you comprise the integrity of the laminate “shell” in any way. Goodluck, Mike
“Wetsander”, John, Tom, and Mike(our host with the most!). Thanks, a HEAP, for saving me from some potential heartache! (and probably a BUNCH of regret!). Here’s the deal… A local shop had one of those wood laminate epoxies come in with a nice long scratch on it and the owner offered it to me for well below cost (the only way I felt like the swing …especially at the exorbitant asking price!). Not only did the board have this 1 1/2 foot scratch along the belly, it ALSO had a few light(circular) shatters - as well as a small COMPRESSION - in close proximaty. That kind of red flagged it for me, right there, seeing as how the board came in BUBBLE WRAPPED!!! (that had to be one bad-assed -or particularly ANGRY - U.P.S. guy !) With all the hype about epoxy strength, you would have thought that this stick could hold up to the trucker - in it’s packed state. I really appreciate the feedback, as I’m a little bit hard on my boards, and really didn’t want a “wallhanger”. Thank you, guys, so much! Aloha, T.
I was a little hasty, this morning, with my response (and I also forgot to answer Tom Sterne -{sorry, T.})! The board box of the aforementioned wood laminated surfboard WAS punctured and the bubble wrap where the damage had been done - was slightly perforated. I didn’t want to give the impression that MAGIC had happened, and that the board was scratched and dinged while FULLY wrapped. The compression, however, was under an area where the bubble wrap WAS intact - indicating that the board must’ve sustained a pretty good blow. I still think the board should have held up a bit better in transit, but who’s to say. I also didn’t want to appear to berate the epoxy boards of various makers - I’m sure that some folks’ products are more advanced, than some others’, technologically. Sorry, eh! But it looks like I’m gonna get me a few drums O’ resin, and a couple more blanks - instead. I didn’t like the horror stories of “snappage” - and JUST from three of you - in the small space of Mike’s forum! I don’t like them odds. Thanks, again, boys for the good “steerage”! Tom Stern … You asked about the styrene trick…I use a glass rod (like for stirring chemicals {remember chem class?!}) - or even better - grandpappy’s glass swizzle sticks for stirring coctails. the glass swizzle sticks have a melted/fused ball on the bottom and tend to “track” better when applying the styrene. I dip the glass “wand” in styrene, and carefully follow the path of the stress fracture . the styrene actually re-fuses the fracture…good for those “crap, it’s just a little fracture” (but I’m secretly obsessed that it will take on water and yellow{or worse} over time- deals). You have to go quick, have a light touch - you could have “meltage” . If you were gonna hit the fractures with a cover of polyester resin, sometimes, you needn’t if you try this. I have done this with undiluted styrene - before you do this, though, PLEASE practice on a “beater”. If there’s anyone out there who has ALSO done this over the years, please chime in with any better suggestions or warnings. Give it a shot, Tom, and tell me how you make out. (anyone dilute the styrene, somehow?). P.P.S. - mask for drips! Aloha, T.
Here is my $.02. My buddy got a big name shaper’s surftech model. Looks totally boss. Surfs like a pig with an attitude problem! You never know if you are going to like a board untill you ride it. When you are sinking $900 into a surftech, vs $500 for a poly – its a much bigger financial risk. Just my opinion.
Hey Tom - I hadn’t used styrene until I read in George Orbelian’s book that it’s good for touching up those shatters and snackles that don’t penetrate the glass. I sand down to the glass fibers and into the glass itself if it’s loose or really chewed up. Then I apply styrene and resin and maybe a little cloth patch if I’ve removed any. It (styrene) seems to restore the clarity of the damaged glass and make the minor repairs practically invisible. I don’t think I’d recommend just using styrene as a repair however as it dries up and evaporates. As for diluting the styrene - the stuff I get seems about as thin as acetone. I’ve never had the need to thin it more. It seems to penetrate into the glass fibers and make them invisible right out of the can. If I add glass patches, I sometimes throw a little piece of wax paper over the whole thing and tape the edges to keep the repair in place as it kicks. I was a little hasty, this morning, with my response (and I also forgot to > answer Tom Sterne -{sorry, T.})! The board box of the aforementioned wood > laminated surfboard WAS punctured and the bubble wrap where the damage had > been done - was slightly perforated. I didn’t want to give the impression > that MAGIC had happened, and that the board was scratched and dinged while > FULLY wrapped. The compression, however, was under an area where the > bubble wrap WAS intact - indicating that the board must’ve sustained a > pretty good blow. I still think the board should have held up a bit better > in transit, but who’s to say. I also didn’t want to appear to berate the > epoxy boards of various makers - I’m sure that some folks’ products are > more advanced, than some others’, technologically. Sorry, eh! But it looks > like I’m gonna get me a few drums O’ resin, and a couple more blanks - > instead. I didn’t like the horror stories of “snappage” - and > JUST from three of you - in the small space of Mike’s forum! I don’t like > them odds. Thanks, again, boys for the good “steerage”! Tom > Stern … You asked about the styrene trick…I use a glass rod (like for > stirring chemicals {remember chem class?!}) - or even better - > grandpappy’s glass swizzle sticks for stirring coctails. the glass swizzle > sticks have a melted/fused ball on the bottom and tend to > “track” better when applying the styrene. I dip the glass > “wand” in styrene, and carefully follow the path of the stress > fracture . the styrene actually re-fuses the fracture…good for those > “crap, it’s just a little fracture” (but I’m secretly obsessed > that it will take on water and yellow{or worse} over time- deals). You > have to go quick, have a light touch - you could have “meltage” > . If you were gonna hit the fractures with a cover of polyester resin, > sometimes, you needn’t if you try this. I have done this with undiluted > styrene - before you do this, though, PLEASE practice on a > “beater”. If there’s anyone out there who has ALSO done this > over the years, please chime in with any better suggestions or warnings. > Give it a shot, Tom, and tell me how you make out. (anyone dilute the > styrene, somehow?). P.P.S. - mask for drips! Aloha, T.
No question the shapes are as good as anything out there. The list of shapers includes the best in the world (Velzy, Yater, Takayama, Munoz, etc.) The painted models are supposedly more durable and I’ve been told that the soft top models now have stringers. The new Velzy 12’ paddle board is a thing of beauty and so light you can’t believe it. I hope your friend gets a lot of fun rides on his new board!>>> Here is my $.02. My buddy got a big name shaper’s surftech model. Looks > totally boss. Surfs like a pig with an attitude problem! You never know if > you are going to like a board untill you ride it. When you are sinking > $900 into a surftech, vs $500 for a poly – its a much bigger financial > risk. Just my opinion.
Of the four people I know who own a surftech surfboard, one person’s board has snapped in half. And that board was wood veneer and almost brand new. I asked the owner if he got a refund or any kind of discount on the broken board and he said, “no.” Reading the posts in this thread makes me no longer even curious about surftech. One can get a great board for less money, with much greater longevity using the “old” technology. Perhaps one day surftech will be a better value, but as of now “ya takes yer chances!” And as they say…I’d rather go to your funeral than for you to go to mine.